Thesis Title

Author(s)

Graduation Year

2013

Date of Thesis Acceptance

Spring 5-7-2013

Major Department or Program

Politics - Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

Charles Aaron Bobrow-Strain

Abstract

Methyl Iodide, considered one of the most toxic chemicals on earth, was approved for agricultural use in California in 2010. Like most post-DDT pesticides, Methyl Iodide is acutely toxic at application, leaving the bodies of farmworkers disproportionally impacted by its use. This listing was successfully challenged by the diverse California-based anti-pesticide coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR), but in this study I explore the limitations of merely banning a pesticide. Because it is important to conceptualize pesticides in the context of a broader suite of issues facing a racial group, I explore to what degree CPR foregrounded race in its activism. I argue that CPR’s activism demonstrated an improvement over prior pesticide campaigns in that they intentionally prioritized farmworker voices, but could further benefit by using race-specific language. As food and environmental movements increasingly look to respond to criticisms that they ignore racial issues, these cross-racial, cross-issue coalitions can offer important lessons for future coalition work.

Document Type

Terms of Use

Downloads

Since January 29, 2016

Share

COinS

Rights Statement

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).